Love is Forever
by Elemental-Zer0
Summary: "No! Merlin no!" It was getting hot now, thick black smoke was starting to block her face from his gaze, but still he smiled on, for her. 'It's Ok, Mother, I won't feel it.' Though the heat was becoming unbearable.
1. Chapter 1

**Love is forever**

**Summary:** "No!! Merlin no!!!" It was getting hot now, thick black smoke was starting to block her face from his gaze, but still he smiled on, for her.

**Disclaimer:** This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; Merlin, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 (Aka Mimi) takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

The Song; "Listen to the Wind…" was written by James Horner and sung by Hayley Westenra and does not belong to me but to the aforementioned people.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2008 to Elemental-Zer0 (Aka Mimi)

**Authors Note/Warnings:** Implied Character death, not yet decided – might write a bit more and have him saved… depends on what response I get from you guys? Should I have him saved? Or let him die?

Let me know what you think, but no flames please (Pun notwithstanding). If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)

* * *

**Love is forever…**

The sound of birdsong flittered cheerily to his ears. It drowned out the mass of gathered people that stood before him, watching, and waiting. He closed his eyes and pictured the large meadows, the green forests where the birdsong might be coming from. His mind disappeared to that beautiful place beyond the walls of Camelot.

Funny how now it seems that Camelot was not his favoured place to be in. But then maybe he'd had enough of the city? He was tired of having to hide who he was inside, tired of hiding everything that made him who he is. Afraid of the mistakes that almost ended his friends and family's lives in more ways that he thought was possible… and the mistakes that had ended friends and family's lives.

He was tired of it all. And it seemed now that this was a blessing and not a feared curse. He was ready for this.

"No!! Merlin no!!!"

And suddenly time stopped.

His heartbeat quickened.

She shouldn't be here. Not to see this! He'd promised her she'd never have to witness this! His eyes flew open and there she was; held in Gaius's tight embrace as her legs failed to hold her weight, tears flowing freely. And he was suddenly afraid. Afraid for her, for his friends, for everyone he held close that would have to witness this.

"Mother…" The affectionate word barely made it past the solid lump that had lodged itself in his throat. For a moment, the shackles securing his wrists to the ring-pull high above his head on the stake were too tight. The chains securing his feet to the bottom were too heavy. And the crowd was too big. He could pick out each individual face, friends, acquaintances, loved ones; all watching with regret, remorse… and a defeated helplessness for not being able to help in some way.

He closed his eyes again. And let the fear disappear. Instead he was angry; angry at Uther for not being able to see what his fear had done to his people; angry for not being able to help him see the bigger picture; and angry at himself for taking the fall for Morgana.

Morgana… she'd simply die if she found out he'd taken the blame for her mistake. She should be far away by now, running back to the Druids to hide with them, and learning to control her power. And just like that, the anger was gone with a sense of purpose replacing it. He'd make sure she at least had a head start on Uther's men. Not that they'd find her with Arthur helping her hide.

Arthur. A pang of regret welled up in his chest. The young Prince had only recently found out about his and Morgana's specialities and to his surprise, had taken it quite well considering. Though the Prince was still peeved he hadn't been told sooner but Merlin could tell that Arthur could understand why they'd delayed in telling him until it was absolutely necessary.

Another pang of regret hit him hard. Arthur would never become the Great King he was supposed to be now… Maybe Morgana would take his place in the Great Destiny? Maybe she could help the Prince become who is supposed to be when crowned? He hoped so…

"Merlin… please…" He squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to block out his mother's pleas. It wouldn't help his situation if he freed himself now. The King would hold his friends and family ransom until he gave himself up. He wouldn't ever let that happen. But her cries tore right through him.

"This man before you has admitted to practicing Sorcery, the penalty of which is certain death." And the hated man himself graced the surreal scene from his balcony high above his people and the accused. "Do you have any last words boy?" This was new. Last words? He wracked his brain for a good comeback but as he did, his eyes found his crumpled mother's form in Gaius's arms.

And suddenly an old lullaby she used to sing to him came to his mind. She'd sing it to him as though she were his father talking to him from beyond. It was apt, and she needed the little comfort it would offer as it had offered him as a young boy.

The crowd was silent, waiting, watching. But they didn't exist anymore. It was just him and his mother, locking eyes.

The sound of birdsong appeared again, and he began the first verse of the soft lullaby.

"_Time is a river,_

_That flows endlessly and,_

_A life is a whisper,_

_A kiss in a dream._

.

"_Shadows dance,_

_Behind the firelight,_

_And all the spirits of the night remind us:_

_We are not alone…"_

He didn't hear them approaching; didn't see the torch moving closer.

"_Tomorrow:_

_A sun soon rising,_

_And yesterday is there beside us,_

_And it's never far away_

.

"_If you listen to the wind you can hear me again,_

_Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song,_

_High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves,_

_Listen to the wind, there's no end to my..."_

He didn't hear the sound of hooves galloping loudly up the cobblestone path. Couldn't see Arthur jumping off his steed and shouting out his protest, pushing past the crowds.

"_Love is forever,_

_A circle unbroken,_

_Seasons keep changing:_

_It always remains..._

_._

"_Spring will melt,_

_The snows of winter and,_

_The summer gives us days of light so long 'till,_

_Autumn makes them fade."_

He couldn't hear Morgana scream, couldn't see her heart broken face as she realised she had forced this upon him.

"_Remember,_

_The sound of laughter,_

_We ran together through the meadows,_

_Still we thought our hearts could break._

.

"_If you listen to the wind, you can hear me again,_

_Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song,_

_High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves,_

_Listen to the wind and I'll send you my love…"_

He could only see his mother's face, a shocked, heartbroken face that he'd vowed once to never force upon her pretty features.

"_Listen to the wind where the sky meets the land,_

_I'm not really gone I've been here all along,_

_High up in the trees in the sound of the leaves,_

_Listen to the wind there's no end to my..."_

It was getting hot now, thick black smoke was starting to block her face from his gaze, but still he smiled on, for her.

"_Time is a river,_

_That flows to the sea and,_

_A life is a whisper,_

_A kiss in a dream."_

"MERLIN!" And in that split second, his eyes left his mother and he saw him, Arthur; fighting to get through the crowds, through the guards that tried to stop him. And she was here too; Morgana looking mortified at what her mistake had caused.

"Merlin! No!" His eyes found Arthur's again, and he gave him a small smile. He'd made his peace. He was ready. Ready to be free of the chains that Uther's laws had so utterly binded him with.

He was struggling to breathe now; the smoke was getting thicker, the flames gaining height. He could feel the hot fiery embers licking at his shins, his knees. He felt faint and light-headed. The smoke, he reasoned, he would pass out for lack of air before the fire would burn him. That would be a small relief in itself. No pain. He wouldn't know he was passing until he'd passed.

"No!! Not my Merlin! Please no…"

'_It's Ok, mother, I won't feel it_.' Though the heat was becoming unbearable. His breath hitched, and that's when he found himself struggling to draw breath at all; the smoke was choking him, he was seeing stars, black tunnels… and then nothing at all.

His eyes had closed on their own, his body sagged against the stake, the cuffs biting into his wrists as his weight was suddenly held by them alone. Several loud cries echoed through his foggy mind. Then a ringing sound caught his ears intermittently; a clanging, clashing sound.

"MERLIN!"

And then there was sweet nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Love is forever**

**Summary:** "No!! Merlin no!!!" It was getting hot now, thick black smoke was starting to block her face from his gaze, but still he smiled on, for her. '_It's Ok, mother, I won't feel it_.' Though the heat was becoming unbearable.

**Disclaimer**: This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; Merlin, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 (Aka Mimi) takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

The Song; "Listen to the Wind…" was written by James Horner and sung by Hayley Westenra and does not belong to me but to the aforementioned people.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2008 to Elemental-Zer0 (Aka Mimi)

**Authors Note/Warnings**: Wow… I didn't think you guys would respond so heavily to this! Lol you really think it was that good? Well ok, by popular demand, I hereby present to you chapter two… Hope it doesn't disappoint in comparison!

Let me know what you think, but no flames please (Pun notwithstanding). If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)

* * *

**Love is forever…**

_Time is a river,_

_That flows endlessly and,_

_A life is a whisper,_

_A kiss in a dream…_

_._

She could still hear him singing… He was saying goodbye in the only way he could. Her eyes blurred again at the sight of her only son unconscious and burning on the pyre.

_Shadows dance,_

_Behind the firelight,_

_And all the spirits of the night remind us:_

_We are not alone…_

_._

She couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. The flames had leaped up in a sudden rush of dry twigs and she could barely see his face now. Her vision blurred again as a trail of fresh tears fell down a wet path already drawn on her cheeks. Wet cheeks that he'd used to kiss dry with only the reassuring affection a son could give to a mother.

_Tomorrow:_

_A sun soon rising,_

_And yesterday is there beside us,_

_And it's never far away_

_._

And it was then, she realised, that she was never going to see him again. This was truly the last time she'd hear his voice, see his eyes dancing in her own, see that cheeky grin he always adopted when up to no good.

He was disappearing from her life, fading so fast and taking all their happy memories with him.

She watched his face through the ever rising, ever flickering flames; he looked peaceful, as though he were only sleeping. Eyes closed against the harsh reality consuming him, lips slightly parted in the way they usually do when he was not in the conscious world.

Clang, Clash!

"Merlin!" For a second her eyes left her dying son and she turned to the commotion that was befalling the west side of the crowd. A flash of a sword hitting a shield then a helmet and suddenly the knight blocking her view dropped to his knees and she saw him; Prince Arthur, fighting his way to the pyre. The look of desperation coupled tightly with his fierce determination to get to her son made her heart leap in hope. Could he save her son? Would she see Merlin smile at her again?

But then another knight stepped into her view and she realised with a sudden heavy heart that the Prince was just one man against an army of knights surrounding her son's pyre.

Her eyes left the desperate scene and she found her son's sleeping face again. The fire was creeping up the wooden stake in a slow darting dance. He'd soon be engulfed in flames… and she'd see him no more.

"Father! I have found and killed the sorcerer! It wasn't Merlin!" The commotion stopped and all eyes found the young Prince as he claimed his lie. He was being held by two guards, obviously having lost the desperate battle to get to his friend but he paid them no heed; his attention was on his Father. "He kidnapped Morgana while you were preparing an innocent man's death. I chased him and killed him. Morgana will tell you that what I say is true!" The Prince turned back to Morgana who was still staring at Merlin's burning Pyre.

"Morgana is this true?" Uther asked scrutinising his ward's appearance; she was dishelved, that much was evident, and there were twigs and leaves in her hair. And she was crying.

And suddenly Uther clicked. If the poor child _had_ been kidnapped and then come back to witness a favoured servant on a pyre for a crime she was in the centre of; surely she must be blaming herself. And that would not do.

Though why she and his son were so attached to the servant was beyond him. Uther turned back to the unconscious boy in the burning stand. It may be too late but if it'd ease his son's and his ward's hearts, then he'd relent.

"Let him through!" He ordered and left the balcony in favour of meeting his shaken ward in person.

Throughout the indecision his father had displayed, Arthur's gaze kept switching back and forth from his father to the burning pyre, of which he could only see growing flames now. Damn that servant, always getting into trouble like this. Didn't he ever learn? And as the knights released and parted and let Prince Arthur through, he found himself on the verge of tears at the thought of failing Merlin. He couldn't, no _wouldn't_ let the boy die! And with that thought, he all but leapt upon the platform and struck his sword upon the chains that held his servant prisoner. The heat was unbearable, and he briefly wondered if he was too late; no one could possibly survive such temperatures for as long as his servant had… Just to be sure, he cast a worried glace at the young warlock and found his heart quickening in fear. The boy was barely breathing, soot and filth lined his face and he looked slightly blue. He was suffocating in the fumes and smoke but he was still alive. A few burns, a little cough and he'd be fine under Gaius' watchful eye. That was all he needed to see as he sprung into action and took out his sword. He swung once, twice, thrice until another knight came up and produced an axe that snapped the ring-pull off the splintered wood entirely.

Merlin fell forward; his hands still shackled together flopped before him, the chains rattling noisily. Hunith jerked to try and catch him but she was still in Gaius' embrace.

Arthur caught her son before he could fall and, after the other knight had finished fighting with the axe and chains around the boy's feet, he managed to drag him off the flaming pyre. She couldn't hold back the new sobs that wracked her body. Her son was safe…

With renewed strength she found her feet again and with Gaius' help, she scrambled forward to the cleared area where the Prince had laid her son down carefully. Her hands were on his soot-ridden face in seconds, caressing the too-warm skin beneath her fingers and kissing his fever-hot forehead. She was crying fresh tears of hope but she didn't care, her son was with her now. He was alive.

Gaius fell to his old knees beside her, checking Merlin's state of health with a practised and critical, if not a little tearful, eye. The ache of having to watch yet another friend burn at the hands of Uther was more than he could bear thinking of and by some great act of a higher deity, he had been graced the chance to have not seen it happen again.

He looked down at the boy he'd come to see as his surrogate son but his hopeful gaze faltered. Horrid burns littered his bare arms and shins and were already seeping vital fluid that if not stopped or replaced somehow, could spell his death. If he could stop the burns from weeping maybe he'd have a chance. But then there was his awful wheezing. Smoke inhalation was almost as bad a killer as the flames themselves. Merlin was already looking very blue and weak.

He watched painfully as Hunith stroked the boy's face, whispering gentle words in to his deaf ears while trying to coax him into waking up. But as Gaius had predicted, Merlin didn't even twitch save for his very laboured breathing.

He looked up at Arthur but his message was not one of hope. The young Prince stilled in shock. No.

"Gaius." He was begging, pleading. "Is there nothing you can do?" He can't have failed! Merlin was out of the fire, he was breathing… why was Gaius giving him that look? He turned back to Merlin and really looked at him now that he was out of the fire. His stomach dropped.

His breathing was still so very wrong, and the burns had there been that many when he saw them last? Had they been this bad?

He wasn't going to make it. Merlin was going to…

He was dying.

* * *

**Authors Note; **_So do you think I should continue? I was thinking of leaving it like this, I mean, I had mixed reviews of whether to save Merlin or have him die, so this came out; he's not dead but not really quite alive either… I honestly have no concrete plan for this; it was originally supposed to just be a one shot… I have ideas but I think I need more votes on whether he should live or die…? Let me know what you want to happen next._


	3. Chapter 3

**Love is forever**

**Summary:** "No! Merlin no!" It was getting hot now, thick black smoke was starting to block her face from his gaze, but still he smiled on, for her. '_It's Ok, mother, I won't feel it_.' Though the heat was becoming unbearable.

**Disclaimer**: This is a Fan-fiction story of the T.V Series; Merlin, and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All Characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 (Aka Mimi) takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.

The Song; "Listen to the Wind…" was written by James Horner and sung by Hayley Westenra and does not belong to me but to the aforementioned people.

However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2008 to Elemental-Zer0 (Aka Mimi)

**Authors Note/Warnings**: Right, ok I think the votes have been counted… will he die? Will he live? I guess you'll just have to read to find out…

This is the last chapter I'm writing for this one too btw, I've got my head stuck in my 'Labyrinth of the Lost' fic and I'm trying not to fall into the writers block chasm for that one.

Yes, I suppose this fic might have potential for a more detailed story but it'd have a very thin if not nonexistent plot line… it was originally only supposed to be a one shot… so this will be the last chapter. I'm sorry to those who wanted to read more, but there's more angst and action in my other Merlin fic mentioned above.

Let me know what you think, but no flames please (Pun notwithstanding). If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)

* * *

**Love is forever…**

"…_Remember,_

_The sound of laughter,_

_We ran together through the meadows,_

_Still we thought our hearts could break."_

_._

He could hear her singing again, like the thousands of times before when she'd sing him to sleep or just sit at his bedside thinking he was asleep but murmuring the hushed lullaby anyway to soothe her own worries. He loved listening to her hum along; it was their own little secret, a secret lullaby that no one else would ever know…

"_If you listen to the wind, you can hear me again,_

_Even when I'm gone you can still hear the song,_

_High up in the trees as it moves through the leaves,_

_Listen to the wind and I'll send you my love…"_

_._

Was this heaven? If so, he could lie here forever, just listening to her singing their lullaby. He couldn't open his eyes to see her, they were just so heavy and he was so tired… but he needed to reach out, to touch her, to have her hand in his.

"_Listen to the wind where the sky meets the land,_

_I'm not really gone I've been here all along,_

_High up in the trees in the sound of the leaves,_

_Listen to the wind there's no end to my..._

.

"_Time is a river,_

_That flows to the sea and,_

_A life is a whisper,_

_A kiss in a dream…"_

* * *

Hunith gasped and stopped singing. The echoing silence flooded the room. His hand, the hand that had never left hers since they'd lain him on the cot in Gaius' chambers, had just squeezed hers...

"Merlin?" Her shrill cry cut through the growing silence like a hot knife through butter and drew both Gaius and Arthur from their musings. Instantly, all three were by the young warlock's side. Watching, hoping, praying…

"What happened?" Arthur prodded, his serious but worried eyes never leaving the damp flushed face of his friend. He winced again as his eyes washed over the state of his manservant; the burns were still very prominent against his stark white skin and if it weren't for the horrid wheezing Arthur would have mistaken him for a corpse. Damn his father and his all-consuming paranoia.

"His hand," Hunith gasped out, "he squeezed my hand…" She looked up with eyes that wanted to show hope but would only let the fear shine through. Arthur could see how she knew that there was very little that anyone could do to help bring Merlin back from the brink of death. And he could also see how she'd accepted that this might just be her last few moments with her last remaining family member.

But this new development confused her. Was Merlin getting better or just simply waking up only to pass away again? How she wanted to be hopeful and optimistic, but if that didn't run true, she'd be even more devastated. But still her heart beat just that little bit faster when she felt another gentle squeeze.

"Hunith…" Gaius tried to explain but the mother already knew what he was trying to say, 'don't get your hopes up too high…' it was a saying all mothers knew.

"I know Gaius." She breathed letting her fears and worries spill down her cheeks. "I know…" and she held his hand tighter in her own. She laid her head down on the mattress beside his arm and just listened to his wheezy breath as it struggled to maintain the life it was laboured with.

Both Arthur and Gaius drifted away into the background, their presence never straying too far but were far enough away to allow her same privacy.

"I'm sorry my son…" She murmured quietly into the mattress. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you out of this mess." Her hand absently stroked his cold hand as she spoke. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you a better life. One you deserved." Tears fell again from her red rimmed eyes. "I'm so sorry Merlin…" Her words were choked and cut off as she started shaking with grief. There was no sound; she'd all but cried herself silent.

A heartbroken silence reigned supreme over the room for a moment.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

"…t'me 's 'riv'r…th't flo's t'th see…"

Hunith's head snapped up and immediately her watery gaze found her beautiful baby's tired blue eyes that were open just a crack. New tears fell away from her eyes as she gently stroked his burn free cheek.

"Oh Merlin…" She cried, not knowing whether she should rejoice or expect the worst still. "I thought I'd lost you…" She murmured to him, her eyes tearing up again at the thought of seeing him chained to a stake again. That nightmare would haunt her for the rest of her life.

"'m sry…" The young warlock managed to whisper out; his throat was so dry and sore, and he felt that if he tried to give sound to his voice he'd start coughing and never stop.

"Don't you dare say that; you are not to blame for this you hear me?" Hunith responded passionately. She would not let her son die with a self directed blame in his heart. But her rant was short-lived for Merlin's eyes had closed again and his breathing had evened out somewhat.

"Gaius." Arthur's strong, yet hitched voice wandered across the room with a purpose. He was unable to just stand by and do nothing. Witnessing the distress and tragic cacophony of tears and distrusted hope, he felt that he should be doing something more. "What does he need to be able to survive this?" He asked from his post by the window.

The old man, stepped over to the bed and shook his head morosely. A soft longing to tell the Prince what he wanted to hear, what he wanted to say, locked on the tip of his tongue.

"A miracle…" He heaved a heavy sigh before smoothing out a wispy strand of hair away from the boy's face. "Only time can tell now. I'll do what I can, but if it shows that nothing is working… we'll have to think about helping him pass." Two shocked pairs of eyes turned to him sharply. "It is a painful way to pass; half burned and half suffocated…" He added not meeting their accusing eyes. "He must be in a great deal of pain." He didn't much like the idea any more than they did, but he'd be damned if the boy suffered any more than he had to.

Was this how the prophecy was supposed to run? What would happen if Merlin didn't fulfil his destiny? Would Arthur become the King he was supposed to be? What would happen to Camelot and her people?

He had to have faith in the prophecy.

Then he froze. What if he…

_No_ he daren't think it. Not in the Prince's presence.

But… what if, what if he used magic to heal his young ward?

Was this the will of the prophecy? Was this his purpose in Merlin's life? Could he fathom the thought of performing sorcery illegally for the second time? The last time he'd sworn would _be_ the last.

"_Time is a river,_

_That flows endlessly and,_

_A life is a whisper,_

_A kiss in a dream…"_

The sight of a lost mother watching her only precious son slowly die before her stopped his thoughts. He'd known Hunith for years, known how much she doted on the boy, seen how close she held him, witnessed how deep her love for her son ran.

Could he risk letting her lose that precious anchor in her life? Could he leave it to chance and hope that Merlin will pull through on his own?

He moved back to the bed and looked the boy over again, critically. The wounds weren't healing as well as they should be; some still soaking the bandages. His hot, clammy pale face fell stark against the rough pillow under his head. He struggled and fought for every breath.

It was doubtful he'd last the night.

His mind was made up. But this posed a new problem. Arthur. How do you solve a problem like Arthur? Gaius thought fast, knowing he'd have to work quickly once he managed to get Arthur out of the room. With a plan that came far too quickly for his liking, Gaius nodded to himself and set upon it.

"It looks like he's worsening." The horrid words left his mouth with a bitter taste. It was necessary, he told himself. And just as he predicted, Arthur shot to his side eager to help with any small errand. Hunith's eyes shot up, red rimmed and wide. He hated himself for scaring her like that but he had to get rid of the Prince before he could stabilise Merlin's condition.

"What can we do Gaius? There must ne something?" The Prince asked in earnest, playing right into the old sorcerer's hands. Gaius pretended to think hard, while checking Merlin's condition further.

"There may be one thing I can do for him." He pretended to think. He turned to his shelves of jars and quickly picked an empty jar from the shelf. "Oh no. I'm out of poppy leaves." His act never faltered and Arthur played out the exact actions Gaius knew he would.

"Poppy leaves? Where are they? I'll fetch them myself." He offered valiantly. Gaius turned to him with what he hoped was a relived look.

"They're in the far fields on the other side of the castle. You'll never find them in this light, but I fear if we don't try this medicine tonight, it may be too late." He hated himself all the more, the far fields were sometimes dangerous with random bandits on the prowl but in this light he knew Arthur wouldn't risk going alone.

"Fear not, I'll fetch them. I'll have the knights help me look." He proclaimed bravely in his Princely manner. Then he shattered the image of a cocky Prince to that of a concerned friend desperate to help his ailing friend in any way he could. He took one last look at the boy on the bed, looked at Hunith in the eye and left in a flurry of action.

Once Gaius was sure he was gone, he took action.

"We must hurry, Hunith. Close the doors block the windows and any cracks you can find. I need to do this before he comes back." He said urgently, ignoring the look of confusion on her face. "I have not the time to explain now, I'll tell you later. Just do as I say." Wordlessly, but perhaps a bit apprehensively, she followed his orders and helped to block up ay possible peeping holes.

Once he was sure no one could see in and the door was shut fast, Gaius turned to Merlin on the bed. Hesitantly he held a hand out above the boy and locked eyes with Hunith. She realised what he was about to do.

_Time is a river, _

He closed his eyes and concentrated on that which had laid dormant deep inside him for many years now. "ælfsidenna abironas brytengrúnd forhátenan, sárcwide afol þæs gewrit ágíeme lufan abiron!" The words flowed from his lips as though the power had never left him and a soft green glow slowly emanated from his hands and floated across Merlin's pale form, twinkling and sparkling like a shower of pollen and petals from the blossom trees.

_That flows endlessly and,_

Hunith knew then what she was witnessing, understood why her old friend had insisted on the secrecy and the plots to lure the Prince away. Her eyes fell to her son, her beautiful, kind-hearted boy and tears welled up in her eyes again. Dare she hope that this would work?

The green light slowly diminished and Gaius swayed slightly before gripping the bed for support. Hunith got up and came round to help him sit but he waved her off. He needed to be standing for when the Prince came back, else he'd suspect something.

"I'm not as strong at this as I used to be." He admitted, "I've not healed him, but I've pushed his natural healing powers back into action. With the leaves that Arthur brings back and a few other herbs I have here, I can make a medicine that will help him recover fully." He explained breathlessly. Hunith dared a gasp of joy.

_A life is a whisper…_

"He's…" She tried to confirm but her emotions took her words. Gaius managed a happy smile as he looked at the pale sleeping figure beneath him.

"He's going to live, Hunith, he's going to be live."

_A kiss in a dream._

* * *

**Authors Note; **_Meh, you can tell I was rushed in the ending. I may come back to this later and patch it up a bit but for now at 11.43pm it'll do. I have work in the morning and really should be in bed now, so good night y'all._


End file.
